Flexible pipe-joint.



W. A. GREENLAW.

FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINT.

APPLICATION I'ILED APR. 20, 1908. I I 927,462 Patented July 6, 1909.

- tained.

useful Improvements in Flexible UNITED STATES Parana onrron.

WARREN A. GREENLAW, OF MELROSE HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GREENLAW MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF MAINE. i

FLEXIBLE PIPE-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

A pueauan filed April 20, mos. Serial No. 428,284.

T 0 all whom it may-concern: I

Be it known that I, WARREN A. GREEN- LAW, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Melrose Hi'g'hlandain the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and Joints, of which the'follow'ing is a specification. j i

This invention relates to flexible pipe joints and has for its ob'ect the production of a pipe in which the riction may be reduced to a minimum when the two pipe members are moved at various angles to one another, this result being obtained by means of a floating seat between the movable member and the member within which it is con- The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

in the drawings, 10 represents a pipe member provided with an enlarged cupshaped end 11 to which is threaded the annular flanged'member 12 provided with an annular semi-spherical seat 13 for afioating semi-spherical ring 14 the inner semi-spherical face 15 of which fits the exterior surface of the ball end 16 of the pipe member 17, the diameter of the cylindrical portion of which is somewhat less than the interior diameter of the semi-spherical ring 14. Within the chamber 18 of the cup-shaped end 11 is an annular flanged ring 19 supporting a packing 20 which is interposed between the inner wall of thechar'nber 18 and the outer surface of the ball end 16. sifiperimposed upon the packing 20 is another anged ring 21 provided with beveled edges 22 which are embedded in the packing 20. Interposed between the inner wall of the chamber 18 and the ring 21 is a spring 23 which tends to force the beveled edges 22 of the ring 21 into the packing 20 and force the same into"- sion of the spring 23 will be such that when any inward movement of the ball end 16 occurs the spring 23 will resist this inward movement while at the same time it is forcmg the ring 21 to actupon the packing 20 to cause the packing to impinge more firmly upon the surface with which it co-acts, thus preventing'any leaka e from the joint.

The floating ring 4 forms an important feature of this inventionas it tends to reduce toa minimum the friction resulting in the moving of the pipe members to various angles with each other. In full lines in Fig. 1 the ring is shown in its normal position, the inner walls thereof being separated slightly from the cylindrical portion of the pipe member 17. When a movement of the pipe member 17 occurs about the center 24 of the ball end 16 the outer surface of the ball end 16 will ride upon the seat 15 on the floating ring 14 until such a time as the outer periphery of the pipe member 17 comes into contact with the inner wall of said ring after which the ring and pipe member will move in unison, the outer periphery of the ring 14 moving over the seat 13 on the cap 12. It has been found by experiment that this construction produces excellent results in accomplishing the object sought to be attained, that is, the reduction of friction during the movement of the pipe members relative to each other under'the extreme pressure under which the movement is usually made. Still better results may be obtained by dividing the ring 14 into a plurality of parts as a and b, the part a having a semi-spherical seat upon the part b'while its inner diameter is somewhat less than the inner diameter of.

the part b, as shown inFig. 1. This construction permits one part to move upon the other fora limited distance before the parts a and b are moved together as has been hereinbefore described.

It is believed that the operation of the invention and the many advantages of a joint Patented July 6, 1909. 7

with a semi-spherical seat; a second pipe member having a ball-shaped end positioned in said cup-shaped end; a floating ring seated on said cap and provided with a seat for said ball end; and means for retaining said annular flanged ring against said cap.

2. In a flexible pipe joint, the combination of a pipe member provided with a cupshaped end; an annular flanged ring therein; a cap threaded to said cup-shaped member and retaining said ring Within said cupshaped member said cap being provided With a semi-spherical seat; a second pipe member having a ball-shaped endpositioned in said cup-shaped end; a floating ring seated on said cap and provided with a seat for said ball end; and a spring for retaining said annular flanged ring against said cap.

3. In a flexible pipe joint, the combination of a pipe member provided with a cupshaped end; an annular flanged ring therein; a'cap threaded to said cup-shaped member and retaining said ring Within said eupshaped member said cap being provided with a semi-spherical seat; a second pipe member having a ball-shaped end positioned in said cup-shaped end; a floating ring seated on said cap and provided with a seat for said ball end; a packing on said annular flanged ring bearing upon said ball end; and means for forcing said packing into contact with said ball end.

Signed by me at 7 Water st., Boston, Mass, this 15th day of April, 1908.

VARREN A. GREENLAW.

Witnesses:

EDNA C. CLEVELAND, NATHAN C. LOMBARD. 

